Neil Lennon has revealed he was ‘really close’ to landing the job as the Republic of Ireland’s national team manager.
The 52-year-old is well-known for his managerial success at Celtic, for whom he made 293 appearances as a player.
Across two stints in the Celtic Park dugout, Lennon won five Scottish Premiership titles, four Scottish Cups and the Scottish League Cup.
His last appointment came at Cypriot side Omonia, where he was sacked in October 2022 after just seven months in charge.
Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast, Lennon explained that he’s keen on returning to management and surprisingly revealed he nearly took the Ireland job, with John O’Shea currently in interim charge.
Despite being a Northern Irishman and earning 40 caps for his country, he admitted: “I was really close to the Ireland job.
“I went through a lot of processes with that, that would have been a really interesting project as well. I am looking to get back in.”
Having been so successful in Scotland, there is no surprise to see that Lennon has been linked with the Aberdeen job following Neil Warnock’s shock departure.
And it’s a club he’d be keen on joining, as he said: “First of all I was surprised Neil left, the one person you’d want to put fires out is Neil Warnock.
“I think he would have got it right but I don’t know in his own mind was he happy there, or just probably too far away from Cornwall [his home], you couldn’t go any further than Aberdeen really.
“It’s a job that would interest me, there’s no question. It’s a big club with big tradition, it’s one of the top clubs in Scotland.”
Despite the pressures that come with football management, Lennon said that he misses the lifestyle and the prizes success brings.
“When you’ve managed Celtic for six years, it’s just full on, it’s a privilege and a great experience,” he added.
“Then you come out of it, it’s like coming out of the army as a civilian like, ‘This is normal life now’.
“You’re used to a very regimented life but it’s also very enjoyable and very rewarding, so yeah I do miss it.”